LBSC123

Thanks for the extended update Rob, inspirational as always. Keep up the good work. Will

You could get 5xA1 sheets of 10mm stuff for £36 on ebay, not cheap but not awful....

Hi Jack, I wrote about using Foamboard in another thread, as follows: Foamboard is an interesting material to work with, you definitely need to clad it in some sort of Ply if you're planning on moving the layout through around, as it's not very knock resistant. Make sure you use PVA and a hot glue gun for the joints, I've gone back in a few places where I just used hot glue during construction to add a bit more strength to the joints. Also be mindful of if you're going to have an integral backscene or not, on Shalfleet Quay I've only got a backscene on two sides, which means they layout doesn't really act like a 'box' when lifting or moving it, so I had to go back and put a few more supports in some areas underneath to reduce deflection of the boards, as picking it it up and moving it placed a lot of stress through one of the supports underneath. The stuff is very easy to work with, so there's no need to scrimp on under-baseboard supports and bracing. I'd probably use 10mm stuff if I was to do it again, purely because it's so light, and you might as well use a material that's thicker and stronger to start with, but 5mm was totally fine for Shalfleet Quay. I would also consider putting down some sort of base for the track bed, possibly ply or something that wouldn't warp as this would add more strength and give something less shock absorbing for SEEP point motors to mount to, if you're using them. This would also mean that it would be easier to take up and put down track should your plans change halfway through. Having said this, I don't think it's essential to do this at all. Chris Nevard's photos on constructing Catcott Burtle are also very useful for baseboard construction, he used 5mm stuff and that's what I based my plans on. Hope that's of some use. Will

Hi Jack, My foamboard wasn't branded, I just bought it off eBay. I have written about this before in another thread, I had to add some strengthening to the underside after construction, if I was to do it again I would opt for 10mm foamboard rather than 5mm. Hope that helps. Will

Looking good Rob. What are the planned dimensions of the station? Can we get a sneak peak of a track plan. Lovely work as always. Will

Thanks @Mick Bonwick for the kind words! Thanks for the tip off @wainwright1, the S&K has been on the to do list for a while, so maybe I'll try and co-ordinate the two!

Two photos of the Barge on the layout. Can you tell I’m rather pleased with this? Still a few more details to add etc.

Thanks, this looks very interesting. I wasn’t aware it was 2 men and a dog... I’ll have to model them for sure!

A photo taken in daylight to show the rigging more clearly. I’ve still got to add the foresail which will be furled, alongside the sails for the main and mizzen masts. It’s fair to day if I ever build a ship again it will be one without a mast and rigging!

Thanks @Schooner!

Thanks for the pointers @Schooner, I’ve taken them on board! This is the result of tonight’s progress, not perfect and still in need of a bit of tidying up, I also need to work out how to make the sails, which will be furled, I’ve got a few ideas on that to follow... I’ve had to make a fair few compromises for my own sanity! I don’t know how ship modellers do it! I’ll post some more photos tomorrow when sunlight is on my side.

Yes, that’s a plan, thanks for the link it looks useful!

I didn't realise there was a plain chocolate version @wainwright1, these ones are far too sweet for me so I've delegated the responsibility of emptying the wrappers to my housemate. Perhaps I'll have to look for the plain chocolate version next time...

A few shots of a Thames Barge (or similar) found on the Thames today. Although it might not be quite right, it has helped iron out some questions I had on how various bits were attached to each other. I’ll soon be taking the plunge on the model. I’ll warn everyone now that, for my sanity’s sake this will just be a representation of the rigging, and might not be quite right from a sailing point of view...

Thanks @phil_sutters, I’ve got some 0.25mm Rigging thread which I hope will do a similar job!

Had the chance to do a bit more work on the layout, and spent my time focussing on the Thames ahead of the rigging. I covered the two hold areas with some tarpaulins fashioned out of Tunnocks wrappers. I think they look good but this means I’m running out of excuses for not doing the rigging. So today’s project is to find a Thames barge to use as a point of reference. More soon.

This thread is well overdue an update. I haven’t had a huge amount of motivation on account of still going to work, and not being too enthusiastic about the Thames barge or wagon painting and transfers, which I am currently working on. so as a bit of a break, I have been building up some quayside details at the end of the layout. I think I’ve got a nice little scene developing here, although I’m not quite sure on the locations of various items yet. I also got round to building an appropriate flatbed Ford A lorry. Next job is the rigging on the Thames Barge!

Hi @TeakDB, glad the picture is of some use it was taken during my visit in the summer. I agree about some of the details and I am not entirely sure if I would copy it, but it's a useful starting point nevertheless. I'm not too familiar with the engineering colour schemes, is this what is known as the SR 'Vermillion' or a different colour all together? The Dumb buffered wagons look rather lovely, as does the 5&9 models Van. Certainly something to aim for myself...

Looking good @TeakDB! Is this the sort of colour scheme you’re going for on the Ballast Wagons?

Hi @Ribird, the S100 was purchased from a friend, he doesn't model pre-BR but had previously purchased this. The recent Model Rail sale around Warley encouraged him to move this one onto me, and purchase a lovely BR Green one. I must say you've done a lovely job with your one, the weathering looks cracking! I'll be interested to see how your future conversions go. With regard to the circle on the smoke box, was that fitted to all of the locos? I wasn't sure if it was to do with which US company built them?

Hi Nick, that was @Mick Bonwick, it’s a splendid job... now need to weather some wagons to match!

Wishing you a speedy recovery Rob

Following with interest!

Well I thought I had better give people a well overdue update on the layout. Despite lockdown, I've been somewhat rushed off my feet passing out as a Guard on the 'big railway' and with various projects I'm involved in at the Heritage Railway I volunteer at. Despite that, I have managed to make some progress, and have got the Thames Barge to a point of getting the first of primer on. It still needs some finishing in areas, and I'm somewhat hamstrung in terms of not having an airbrush. I've got the bits for the rigging, which I fit when I've got the hull into top coat. Alongside this I've been painting the various wagons shown previously, this has given me a new found admiration for those of you who regularly kit build, it's very time consuming! I guess we really spoilt by the RTR offerings these days. I'll take a photo of the state of play of these when I next get them out to work on. I've got various detailing bits for the quay too, which will be fitted in due course (I still need to build a lighting gantry and fiddle yard... difficult on the 4th floor during lockdown... Alongside this, I've received my Terrier back from being weathered, it looks rather splendid. I also had a few Rule 1 purchases... Perhaps these will spawn their own layouts in due course?! The S100s have always been a weak spot for me, since seeing one of their Yugoslavian counterparts working in a colliery in 2014. Hope everyone is in good health throughout lockdown. I'll do a more comprehensive update of progress over the next few days. More soon.

Hi @wainwright1, thanks for the question. At present I’ve got a number of the Hattons coaches pre ordered, in my mind the 6 wheelers don’t look too far off the ex LCDR stock that went over to the island, and the 4 wheelers could possibility representative of other 4 wheelers (ex LSWR/MSLR etc, I know there not THAT close but I won’t look too closely). At present I’m not sure what to do about the Hornby ones on account of the fact they look rather like ex LBSC ones but are 6 wheelers, I’ll think on it, but won’t be cancelling my Hattons order... The bigger problem is the rapid acquisition of coaching stock on a goods only branch.... maybe I need to build another layout, or fit a small platform to the quay? Yes, this is my thinking too...